COASTAL RISK CONSULTING Www

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

COASTAL RISK CONSULTING Www COASTAL RISK CONSULTING www.coastalriskconsulting.com 844-SEA-RISE (732-7473) May 18, 2020 “You Know Your Carbon Footprint, but Do Your Know Your Risk Footprint?” By: Albert J. Slap, President, Coastal Risk Consulting, Boca Raton, FL Date: 05/18/20 For decades, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scoring of investments, and public reporting of those scores, has focused mainly on one side of a two-sided coin, namely, what a business or asset is doing to the planet -- particularly, the “Carbon Footprint” of that company measured by CO2 greenhouse gas emissions. The other side of that coin is, of course, what the planet is doing to the same business or asset, or its physical climate risk or “Risk Footprint.” Today, ESG sustainable investment is big business. In 2018, The U.S. Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investments estimated that around $12 trillion of assets in the US alone are managed under some sustainable investing strategy (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-what-you- need-to-know-about-the-12-trillion-dollar-esg-investment-world-2019-12-18). According to S&P, the global market for ESG funds may surpass $30 trillion (https://www.spglobal.com/en/research- insights/articles/esg-becoming-mature-market-as-sustainable-assets-hit-30-7-trillion-in-2018). As a result, for some time, many Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and Private Equity (PE) firms have been tracking and reporting Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues through the CDP (https://www.cdp.net/en), GRESB (www.gresb.com), TCFD (https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/), USGBC (www.usgbc.org) and other vehicles to understand their “Carbon Footprints” Statistics on the growth of extreme weather natural disasters over the past few years, however, indicate that understanding an asset’s “Risk Footprint” might be as important as understanding its “Carbon Footprint”. While over the past 40-years, the number of (individual) natural disasters causing financial losses in excess of $1 billion has risen steadily, few REITS, CREs, and PE firms measure the extreme weather and climate risks to portfolio assets. Natural disaster insurance claims were the highest ever in 2017 at $144 billion, and most of the annual losses (a total of $337 billion) were uninsured. Wildfires in 2017 caused a record $21 billion in losses. The rapid sequence of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in the same year caused losses equivalent to 0.5 percent of the US GDP. Of the top ten costliest catastrophes ever recorded in the US, eight were hurricanes and four of the eight occurred in the past 8-years. According to a World Bank study, more than one-third of the world’s land area is flood prone, affecting about 82% of the world’s population. These patterns of increasing extreme weather events are widely acknowledged by science, the insurance industry and commercial real estate (https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/beyond- data/2010-2019-landmark-decade-us-billion-dollar-weather-and-climate). 2385 Executive Center Drive, Suite 100, Boca Raton, FL 33421 844-SEA-RISE (732-7473) As a result of increasing extreme weather, natural disaster losses and physical climate risks, the ESG scoring entities mentioned above have begun to offer what they call “resilience modules”, as a recognition that understanding the “risk footprint” of a business or asset is as important to the investment community as understanding its “carbon footprint”. These resilience modules, however, do not actually assess or communicate specific risks to individual assets, such an office building or a factory. Rather, they simply provide a framework process that may be used by REITs and others to conduct such physical risk assessments and communicate the results of these assessments. “Resilient modules” providing “frameworks” are important (see, e.g., new TCFD Guidance - https://www.unpri.org/private-equity/tcfd-for-private-equity-general-partners-technical- guide/5546.article), but, they do not give REITs, CRE owners, PE firms, or institutional real estate owners such as ARA | American Realty Advisors, an understanding of the potential capex required to mitigate existing and future flood, natural hazard, and climate risks. A “Risk Footprint” Assessment Can Guide Mitigation Strategies Understanding a building’s “risk footprint” can give property owners and investors a basis for specific short-term, medium, and long-range risk mitigation strategies at various cost levels. There are few technology companies that currently offer both risk assessments for real properties and resilience-accelerating advisory services. Our company, Coastal Risk is one such company. We have found that many property owners might get a “high-level” risk analysis but have no plan of action to mitigate those risks. We do not leave our customers hanging when they ask, “OK. That’s the bad news. What do I do, next?” We partner with property owners to assure they have a step-by- step program to actually accelerate their buildings’ resilience in a changing environment. For example, a major PE firm recently engaged our company to examine these risks at a large, historic hotel/resort in South Florida. Putting such a large property (with many buildings of different vintages, some over 100-years old) under a “risk mitigation microscope” was a challenge. Our world-class team included: climate scientists, engineers, architects, storm water and flood mitigation experts. After careful modeling tidal flooding, sea level rise, storm surge, and future extreme heat and rainfall, specific recommendations were provided to the client. These included such measures as: elevating new construction, raising seawalls, investing in new, more efficient AC chillers, installing larger roof drains to move rainwater faster off flat surfaces, installing hurricane-proof glass in some locations, doorway barriers, dry floodproofing, re-grading and stormwater controls, and greater flood protections for utilities, such as electrical, backup generators, and communications equipment. Another company partnering with us to assess risks to properties is American Realty Advisors (ARA). Said Don Pecano, Vice President Due Diligence at ARA, “ARA has been increasingly interested in more fully understanding physical risks to our assets from floods, natural hazards and climate impacts as part of our overall Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Program. We have worked closely with Coastal Risk to identify and dimension those risks for our existing portfolio and during the due diligence process for new investments.” 2385 Executive Center Drive, Suite 100, Boca Raton, FL 33421 844-SEA-RISE (732-7473) CONCLUSION REITs, Commercial Real Estate companies and Private Equity need three elements in the area of risk assessments: (1) portfolio-level analysis for ESG/Resilience disclosure reporting; (2) an understanding of the potential capex required to mitigate existing and future flood, natural hazard, and climate risks; and, (3) an action plan to mitigate risks and accelerate their buildings’ resilience in a changing environment. All three can be provided by a new hybrid of both tech and consulting offered by companies like ours, Coastal Risk. The starting point is knowing you need to analyze the other side of the coin – the “Risk Footprint.” Hurricane Harvey, Houston, TX 2017 2385 Executive Center Drive, Suite 100, Boca Raton, FL 33421 844-SEA-RISE (732-7473) .
Recommended publications
  • Village of Key Biscayne Flood Vulnerability Assessment
    Village of Key Biscayne Flood Vulnerability Assessment & Adaptation Report April 2017 This page is intentionally blank. Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................... 2 Background .................................................................................................................... 3 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 5 Phase 1: Vulnerability Assessment ............................................................................. 8 1.1 Tidal Flooding ......................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Storm Surge Flooding ........................................................................................... 12 1.3 Heavy Rainfall Flooding ........................................................................................ 15 Phase 2: Adaptation Strategies .................................................................................. 17 2.1 Storm Drainage and Sea Walls ............................................................................. 17 2.2 Roadway and Property Elevation .......................................................................... 19 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 22 References ...................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Coastal Risk Client Adaptation Story
    A COASTAL RISK CONSULTING INTRO DECK FALL 2018 “Bad News” Isn’t Good Enough • If your goal is accelerating resilience, then, just providing “the bad news” isn’t good enough; • Even the “best bad news” alone won’t properly educate individuals, businesses and governments about risk and resilience investments, without hands-on guidance. • The premise that the “top down” (governments) will save everybody from floods and storms is false and delays “bottom up” risk mitigation NOAA Sea Level Rise Calculator investments. 2 What Has Coastal Risk Created? • Holistic flood and natural hazard risk modeling and risk communication “engine”; Hurricane Irma, Brickell Ave., Miami, FL • A utomated risk reports and risk scoring for every property in the US; • Beyond FEMA Flood Maps • Includes four types of flood risks: • Riverine • Heavy Precipitation • Storm surge • Tidal/sea level rise • 5 natural hazards added: wind, tornado, wildfire, earthquakes, and tsunamis; Coastal Risk Model Actual Flooding • Flood and Natural Hazard Risk Mitigation Advice. What’s the “Fuel” that Runs the “Engine”? Datasets used with algorithms: 1. LIDAR elevation/DEMs – satellite data in future 2. Property boundary data 3. Tide gauge data 4. Riverine models (not just FEMA) 5. Sea Level Rise Models 6. Storm Surge Models (NOAA, etc.) 7. Groundwater and Soils data 8. Erosion and land-subsidence 9. Other Natural Hazard risks Coastal Risk’s “Engine” Produces Risk Score Spreadsheets Coastal Risk’s “Engine” Produces Highly-Visual Risk Reports FEMA Flood Maps Aren’t Good Enough • http://insurancethoughtleadership.c
    [Show full text]
  • Protecting Urban Places and Populations from Rising Climate Risk
    POLICY PROPOSAL 2017-01 | MARCH 2017 Protecting Urban Places and Populations from Rising Climate Risk Matthew E. Kahn The Hamilton Project • Brookings 1 THE HAMILTON PROJECT MISSION STATEMENT EPIC MISSION STATEMENT The Hamilton Project seeks to advance America’s promise The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) of opportunity, prosperity, and growth. is confronting the global energy challenge by working to ensure that energy markets provide access to reliable, affordable We believe that today’s increasingly competitive global energy, while limiting environmental and social damages. economy demands public policy ideas commensurate with the We do this using a unique interdisciplinary approach that challenges of the 21st Century. The Project’s economic strategy translates robust, data-driven research into real-world impacts reflects a judgment that long-term prosperity is best achieved through strategic outreach and training for the next generation by fostering economic growth and broad participation in that of global energy leaders. growth, by enhancing individual economic security, and by embracing a role for effective government in making needed public investments. Our strategy calls for combining public investment, a secure social safety net, and fiscal discipline. In that framework, the Project puts forward innovative proposals from leading economic thinkers — based on credible evidence and experience, not ideology or doctrine — to introduce new and effective policy options into the national debate. The Project is named after Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first Treasury Secretary, who laid the foundation for the modern American economy. Hamilton stood for sound fiscal policy, believed that broad-based opportunity for advancement would drive American economic growth, and recognized that “prudent aids and encouragements on the part of government” are necessary to enhance and guide market forces.
    [Show full text]
  • Extreme Weather and Coastal Flooding: What Is Happening Now, What Is the Future Risk, and What Can We Do About It?
    S. HRG. 115–67 EXTREME WEATHER AND COASTAL FLOODING: WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW, WHAT IS THE FUTURE RISK, AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? FIELD HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION APRIL 10, 2017 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 26–599 PDF WASHINGTON : 2017 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 10:36 Sep 13, 2017 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\GPO\DOCS\20170410 JACKIE SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi BILL NELSON, Florida, Ranking ROY BLUNT, Missouri MARIA CANTWELL, Washington TED CRUZ, Texas AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota DEB FISCHER, Nebraska RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut JERRY MORAN, Kansas BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts DEAN HELLER, Nevada CORY BOOKER, New Jersey JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma TOM UDALL, New Mexico MIKE LEE, Utah GARY PETERS, Michigan RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois CORY GARDNER, Colorado MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire TODD YOUNG, Indiana CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada NICK ROSSI, Staff Director ADRIAN ARNAKIS, Deputy Staff Director JASON VAN BEEK, General Counsel KIM LIPSKY, Democratic Staff Director CHRIS DAY, Democratic Deputy Staff Director RENAE BLACK, Senior Counsel (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 10:36 Sep 13, 2017 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\20170410 JACKIE C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on April 10, 2017 .............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Change Business Journal Market Intelligence on Climate Change 4Th Quarter 2015
    Volume IX, No. 10-12 Fourth Quarter 2015 Local Governments put U.S. Local Government Market for Adaptation on Their (Long) Climate Resilience Consulting To-do Lists While most projects are still small, the local government market for climate “Resilience” is the word, as foundations, resilience and adaptation services is evolving rapidly. Larger consulting projects can NGOs and federal agencies provide exceed $500,000, and hundreds of millions are going to food protection projects assistance and funding and new risk in vulnerable regions, especially New York. Active frms typically report fve to 10 drivers for public and private property FTEs engaged in U.S. climate resilience work. Changing analyses of food risks and owners emerge risk-based valuations of coastal property are expected to drive new investment. itigating risks and managing Profle: Moffatt & Nichol takes leads in CA coastal resilience 8 potential hazards are some of NGOs, foundations and federal agencies provide funding for resilience 10 the most important functions Mof local governments and public infra- Living shorelines provide erosion control and shoreline stabilization 13 structure and resource managers. Climate Green infrastructure increases in popularity as stormwater management tool 17 change is already starting to amplify the The Nature Conservancy partners with frms to advance resilience measures 20 weather-related risks and hazards they and their communities face, and the pro- Profle: Arup improves resilience for NY and other coastal cities 23 jected impacts over the coming decades Profle: Dewberry takes on sea level rise 26 are truly ominous. Profle: Milone & MacBroom provides climate risk assessments and resilience But it’s inherently difcult for elected planning for coastal Northeastern communities 29 and appointed ofcials to invest now to prepare for risks that are uncertain and Profle: Stanley Consultants focuses on food mitigation 31 years or decades away.
    [Show full text]
  • TOWN of BAY HARBOR ISLANDS Environmental Vulnerability Study
    TOWN OF BAY HARBOR ISLANDS Environmental Vulnerability Study Part 1 - Vulnerability Assessment First Public Engagement Meeting • Welcome! • Please make sure that you have signed in; • Comments and Questions - the floor will be open for questions after the presentation. • First Meeting is focused on the Vulnerability Assessment; • There will be two more meetings coming up to review Community Risks and how best to Adapt – dates to be announced. What Is This All About? • In 2019, Florida DEP awarded Bay Harbor Islands, Florida (BHI), a grant to assess its current and future vulnerabilities to sea level rise, floods, extreme weather and climate change; and, • To develop strategies and policies that: (1) enhance the City’s short- and-long-term resiliency; (2) comply with “Peril of Flood” legislation established by the FL Senate Bill 1094; and, (3) consider the designation of Adaptation Action Areas (AAAs) within the Town. • Following the award, Coastal Risk Consulting, LLC, (Coastal Risk) was retained by BHI to conduct the Vulnerability and Adaptation Study, in coordination with Town officials. • The Vulnerability Assessment will be available on the Town website. Participant Questions – Please think about these and, we’ll discuss them after the presentation • What do you think are the biggest • Do you have NFIP or Private Flood threats to Bay Harbor Islands? [Can Insurance on your property? be any type of threat] – If not, why not? • Rank them 1-5, with #1 being the • Does your property have a seawall? Have biggest threat. King Tides ever overtopped your seawall? • Have you experienced flooding in • What are your ideas to increase public your neighborhood or on BHI? awareness and public engagement in BHI Where? Has it been repetitive? King vulnerability issues? Tide? Heavy rainfall? Storms? • What aspects of BHI infrastructure • Has flooding on BHI ever caused you (roadways, bridges, storm sewers, etc.) any damage or inconvenience? If so, should be improved first? Why? please specify.
    [Show full text]
  • Albert J. Slap
    Albert J. Slap, Esquire 55 Upper Woodbridge Road, E-1 Snowmass Village, CO 81615-6237 970-710-9553 (cell) [email protected] www.coastalriskconsulting.com [email protected] www.slaplaw.com Education B.A., University of Pennsylvania (1971) J.D., Villanova University School of Law (1974) Biographical Sketch Slap received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania (1971) and a Juris Doctor from the Villanova Law School (1974). From 1974-1979, Slap was Director of the Environmental Law Program, Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, where he brought a major Clean Water Act citizen suit against the City of Philadelphia and other major environmental cases. The Philadelphia sewage case resulted in a $650 million re-build of the City’s sewer system, cessation of ocean dumping of sewage sludge into the Atlantic Ocean, and tens of thousands of new construction jobs. From 1980-1984, Slap served as Deputy City Solicitor for Environment, City of Philadelphia, where he brought the first private Superfund action in the Country, City of Philadelphia v. Stepan Chemical. From 1985-1995, he practiced environmental law in several private law firms in Philadelphia. In 1995, Slap co-founded and served as Vice President and General Counsel of GeoSphere Systems, Inc., a software development and consulting firm specializing in emergency response and process safety management. From 2000-2004, Slap was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where he taught Advanced Problems in Environmental Law and Pretrial Litigation and, was lead counsel in Sierra Club v. Hamilton County, 2007 U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Resilient Coastal Cities for Enhancing Tourism Economy: Integrated Planning Approaches
    ADBI Working Paper Series RESILIENT COASTAL CITIES FOR ENHANCING TOURISM ECONOMY: INTEGRATED PLANNING APPROACHES Sonia Chand Sandhu, Vedanti Kelkar, and Vaideeswaran Sankaran No. 1043 November 2019 Asian Development Bank Institute Sonia Chand Sandhu is a principal evaluation specialist at the Independent Evaluation Department of the Asian Development Bank. Vedanti Kelkar is a former research associate at the Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo. Vaideeswaran Sankaran is an advisor– independent consultant. The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of ADBI, ADB, its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADBI does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms. Working papers are subject to formal revision and correction before they are finalized and considered published. The Working Paper series is a continuation of the formerly named Discussion Paper series; the numbering of the papers continued without interruption or change. ADBI’s working papers reflect initial ideas on a topic and are posted online for discussion. Some working papers may develop into other forms of publication. Suggested citation: Sandhu, S. C., V. Kelkar, and V. Sankaran. 2019. Resilient Coastal Cities for Enhancing Tourism Economy: Integrated Planning Approaches. ADBI Working Paper 1043. Tokyo: Asian Development Bank
    [Show full text]
  • Village Council Meeting Page 2 of 5
    REGULAR MEETING AGENDA TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015, 7:00 P.M. PINECREST MUNICIPAL CENTER/COUNCIL CHAMBER 12645 PINECREST PARKWAY PINECREST, FLORIDA I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE III. CONSENT AGENDA: PURSUANT TO ORDINANCE 2014-6, ITEMS MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA BY A MEMBER OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL. AN ITEM REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL THEN BE DISCUSSED AND ACTED ON SEPARATELY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CONSIDERATION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS PRIOR TO THE VILLAGE COUNCIL’S CONSIDERATION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. A. MINUTES: TAB 1 1. MARCH 17, 2015 (REGULAR) B. A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE OF PINECREST, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING TAB 2 THE VILLAGE MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH PREMIER SOCCER CAMPS FOR THE RECREATIONAL SOCCER SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. C. A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE OF PINECREST, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING TAB 3 THE VILLAGE MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT WITH R.J. HEISENBOTTLE ARCHITECTS, P.A. FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER IMPROVEMENTS DESIGN PROJECT; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. April 14, 2015 Village Council Meeting Page 2 of 5 IV. AGENDA/ORDER OF BUSINESS V. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS VI. ORDINANCES: A. FIRST READING: NONE B. SECOND READING (PUBLIC HEARING): 1. AN ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE OF PINECREST, FLORIDA, TAB 4 AMENDING THE VILLAGE’S COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN, ORIGINALLY ADOPTED BY ORDINANCE 1999•04, TO INCORPORATE A NEW CLIMATE CHANGE ELEMENT TO INCLUDE NEW GOALS, OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, MAPS, AND DATA AND ANALYSIS; AND TO IDENTIFY AND ADOPT ADAPTATION ACTION AREAS; PROVIDING FOR ADOPTION; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN; PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL OF CERTIFIED COPIES OF THIS ORDINANCE TO THE STATE LAND PLANNING AGENCY AND ALL REQUIRED REVIEWING AGENCIES; AND PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT, SEVERABILITY, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
    [Show full text]
  • Coastal Risk Consulting, Llc, Feedback, and Input on Sec Proposed Rules and Guidance on Climate Change Disclosures
    COASTAL RISK CONSULTING www.coastalriskconsulting.com [email protected] Kristina Wyatt, Senior Special Counsel, COASTAL RISK CONSULTING, LLC, FEEDBACK, AND INPUT ON SEC PROPOSED RULES AND GUIDANCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE DISCLOSURES Submitted by: Coastal Risk Consulting, LLC Albert J. Slap, President Date: 05/03/2021 Dear Commissioner Lee: Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback and input to the SEC on Climate Change Disclosures. Coastal Risk Consulting is the developer of the RiskFootprint™ cloud-based, physical climate risk assessment technology, www.riskfootprint.com. RiskFootprint™ technology has recently been adopted by the US Green Building Council, as part of its platform for LEED and RELi certifications of green and resilient buildings in the United States. See, https://arcskoru.com/new-tools-allow-arc-projects-understand-physical-risks; and, https://www.usgbc.org/articles/introducing-riskfootprint-enhancing-resilience-through-climate-risk- analysis. In your March 15, 2021 announcement, you wrote: “In light of demand for climate change information and questions about whether current disclosures adequately inform investors, public input is requested from investors, registrants, and other market participants on climate change disclosure.” First and foremost, the SEC should understand that physical climate risks are actually one part of a two-sided coin. One side is the “carbon footprint” of physical assets (real estate, infrastructure) or “what a company’s CO2 emissions and carbon emitting activities are doing to the planet”. The other side of the same coin, however, is “what the planet is doing to the company’s physical assets.” See, “You Know Your Carbon Footprint, But Do You Know Your RiskFootprint?” https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2020/10/04/you-know- your-carbon-footprint-but-do-you-know-your-riskfootprint/.
    [Show full text]
  • Coastal Risk Client Adaptation Story
    A The “Moneyball” of Climate Change” How to Avoid Mispricing Assets in a Changing World 1 The “Moneyball” of Climate Change • The movie ‘Moneyball’ showed that, for a baseball team, it’s all about buying runs on the scoreboard. Real estate investing and lending is all about earning an appropriate return. As measures for success, nothing else matters. • But, many, if not most, industry professionals are under- estimating how more frequent extreme weather events and climate changes negatively impact current and future valuations and ROIs. • New technologies now enable lenders, investors, appraisers and others to accurately, quickly and affordably obtain property-specific, risk assessments that will help prevent mispricing of real estate assets in loan originations and investment opportunities regardless of hold times. 2 “Third Time in Three-Years” • Over the past 40-years, the number of natural disasters causing financial losses in excess of $1 billion has risen steadily. Natural disaster insurance claims were the highest ever in 2017 at $144 billion, and most of the annual losses (a total of $337 billion) were uninsured. • Wildfires in 2017 caused a record $21 billion in losses. • The sequence of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in 2017 caused losses equivalent to 0.5 Houston percent of the US GDP. Tropical Storm Imelda • Of the top ten costliest catastrophes ever recorded in the US, eight were hurricanes and September 2019 four of the eight occurred in the past 7-years. 3 “The Times They Are A’Changin’” • “Averaged as a whole, the January 2019 global land and ocean surface temperature was 0.88°C (1.58°F) above the 20th century average and tied with 2007 as the third highest temperature since global records began in 1880.
    [Show full text]
  • CLIMATE CHANGE RISK and the MARYLAND STATE RETIREMENT and PENSION SYSTEM Climate Change Risk and the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System
    CLIMATE CHANGE RISK AND THE MARYLAND STATE RETIREMENT AND PENSION SYSTEM Climate Change Risk and the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System a report prepared by Matthew Binsted1, Nathan Hultman1*, Wes L. Hanson1, Alan Miller2, Travis St. Clair3 October 2017 1. Center for Global Sustainability, University of Maryland, College Park 2. Independent Consultant 3. NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service * Corresponding Author. Director, Center for Global Sustainability, 2101 Van Munching Hall, University of Maryland, College Park 20742. tel: 301-405-3429. email: [email protected] The Center for Global Sustainability, based at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, integrates research and policy engagement to inform discussions on climate, energy, environment, economic development, and sustainability. Located between Washington, DC and Annapolis, the Center focuses on developing research with immediate and significant impact on global, national, state, and local issues. Learn more at www.cgs.umd.edu. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 5 ACRONYMS 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 INTRODUCTION 9 CLIMATE RISKS ARE REAL AND CURRENT 12 Climate Risks and Implications 13 Risk Identification and Transparency in the Context of Fiduciary Duty 16 MARYLAND STATE RETIREMENT AND PENSION SYSTEM 18 State Retirement and Pension System Overview 19 State Retirement and Pension System Policies on Climate Change 20 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE 21 Best Practices for Climate Risk Management 22 Pension Fund Responses to Climate Risk 25 How The
    [Show full text]